Torchwood  The Time Jumper
by Another Blonde Bombshell
Summary: A short story where Jack, Ianto and Gwen discover something quite strange.


**THIS IS A COMPITITON STORY I WROTE A WHILE AGO. I WAS A LOT YOUNGER AND AN INEXPERIANCED WRITER PLEASE BE KIND AND ENJOY!**

* * *

The Time Jumper 

Captain Jack Harkness looked over Cardiff from the roof of the Wales Millennium Centre; the last few weeks had been surprisingly uneventful, in most jobs this would be the norm but Jack Harkness did not do normal. At that moment Jack's vortex manipulator chirped. He checked the readings and reached into the pocket of his blue military coat pulling out his cell phone and dialled the hub.  
"Ianto, are you picking up the same readings I am?"  
Back at the hub Ianto Jones stared perplexed at the reading on the hub computers then quickly compared them to the ones Jack had sent from his wrist strap.  
"Jack they're exactly the same but I have no idea what it means,"  
"I do,"  
"Care to share?"  
"Call Gwen we'll need her and track down where that reading is coming from,"  
"Yes boss." As usual Jack explained nothing it was extremely annoying thought Ianto.

Half an hour later Gwen, Jack and Ianto were sitting around the table in the boardroom while Jack tried to explain the readings,  
"The last time I saw readings similar to these was when my vortex manipulator was used to travel back from the end of the world,"  
"So basically readings like these," Gwen put them up on the screen to show the other two, "Only show up when someone travels to our time from the future,"  
"Yup,"  
"So why couldn't you just say that?" Jack stared angrily at him - sometimes Jack just didn't get Ianto's humour,  
"Ianto did you find out where the readings came from?"  
"Yes," Ianto took the screen controls from Gwen and zoomed in on a map of Cardiff, "From Bute Park there were also sightings of a large creature nearby. As far as I can tell people think it was something escaped from a zoo."  
Jack nodded clearly lost in him own thoughts,  
"We should investigate," Gwen chimed in helpfully. The hub computers choose that moment to go crazy once again,  
Jack quickly took charge, "It's happening again. Let's get out there."

In the middle of Bute Park a bright rip opened in the air and a tall muscle bound man stepped through just in time for the Torchwood SUV to pull up and the man found three guns trained at him. Gwen's eyes widened exponentially  
"Oh My God!" she lowered her gun "Rhys!"  
"Hello love. Did you happen to see where that creature went it's important?"  
While Gwen was completely gob smacked Jack naturally was in full flirting mode,  
"Well, well, well Rhys I didn't know you had it in you and those muscles. I always loved a man with muscles"  
"Hey," that was Ianto, "Maybe the questions we should be asking are: Why and you here? And where did you come from?"  
"Okay, I knew you guys were going to have questions. I'm here because I followed the creature through the rift and I come from about seven years into your future,"  
"So here's a good one. How do we know you are who you say you are? For all we know you're the alien,"  
Rhys snorted, "Yeah you said you would say that. Trust me Jack, I am who I say I am," Gwen didn't look convinced with trust. "Prove it. How did we first meet?"  
Future Rhys rolled his eyes, "Collage canteen. Happy?"  
They all stared at Gwen for an answer, "Well that's right" she blew out a breath, "What was that thing you were chasing?"  
He looked exasperated, "It doesn't exactly have a name, although the others are calling it a Time Jumper, all we know about it is that it came through the rift about two weeks ago my time and we've been chasing it ever since. We think it may be able to subconsciously jump through time,"  
"Like a knee-jerk reaction?"  
"Yes exactly, but it leaves residual energy that we've been able to track. Which was exactly what I was doing when it opened and jumped through a crack in the rift. I followed it but there must of been a time delay because it's not here,"  
"I found it!" Ianto shouted from the SUV. While the others had been listening to Future Rhys, Ianto had been scanning for the energy the creature left behind.  
"Good job Ianto. So where is it?" Ianto shook his head "Cardiff Bay and its still moving fast,"  
"It must have jumped again, this thing is fast, but not that fast."  
"If it can jump at will how were you planning on capturing it?" Rhys met Iantos eyes  
"I wasn't. I was going to kill it. In my time it's already ripped apart half a dozen people I wasn't planning on showing it mercy."  
It was then that Gwen started to doubt if this was really Rhys.

Gwen drew her gun from its holster and fired two head shots at the cardboard cut-out of a weevil; she didn't appreciate being left behind at the hub to monitor the rift in case the creature attempted to jump again. She had called her Rhys on the way back to the hub to make sure he was alright; he didn't particularly like this at two in the morning but was fine and didn't feel inclined to start hunting aliens. Gwen found herself wondering what had driven Future Rhys to joining Torchwood. Had she died? No, Gwen thought this line of thinking would not get her anywhere although she had seen it happen before her eyes. Torchwood was hazardous to its employee's health.

The wind blew and froze Ianto Jones; you would think living in Cardiff he would be used to the cold but no. He was freezing; hunting an alien was not Ianto's favourite thing to do at two in the morning and he needed a coffee. Rhys drew two guns from their holders and twirled them expertly like a cowboy showing off,  
"When we find this thing try not to get to close to its teeth mate. They're poisonous," "Well this creature is just getting better and better-" but before he had a chance to finish his sentence Jack shouted, "There it is!" The three men found not one but two angry Time Jumpers baring their massive rows of teeth, like a shark's, at them, large bodies with mountains of thick skin, poised to attack.  
"I guess it found a friend," smiled Rhys "or one came through earlier," While Jack and Ianto stared in disbelief at the creatures Rhys was down on one knee shooting off both guns, guns that didn't shoot bullets but wide beam lasers which tore both creatures apart,  
"Huh, well that was anticlimactic" mumbled Ianto. Rhys lifted the guns close to his face and smiled,  
"Torchwood tech."  
"I am not cleaning this up on my own." Jack and Rhys looked at the mess the laser guns had made,  
"I guess this is why we have a clean up crew," The other two stared at him "never mind."

Two hours later they dragged themselves into the hub only covered in what could only be described as monster goo only to find a rather amused looking Gwen. Jack and Ianto went off to get cleaned up. Gwen didn't want to think about what they were actually doing. Which left her with Future Rhys and she found this the perfect time to question him,  
"Can I ask you a question?"  
"Sure but I don't know if I'll answer. Time lines," he stared briefly into space "I shouldn't have really revealed myself to you at all but being stealthy was never really my forté," "Okay how did you end up joining Torchwood?" Rhys drew in a deep breath and once more stared into space but before he could give his answer Ianto walked back into the room once again looking pristine and headed to the coffee maker. Before Gwen had a chance to speak again Rhys had followed him. Rhys walked happily over to Ianto's area "Hey mate why don't I make the coffee?"

Ten minutes later the team and Rhys were sitting in the boardroom drinking coffee,  
"So how did you end up joining Torchwood?"  
Rhys shook his head "You know I can't tell you the future, but remember Gwen, the future can always change, love."  
Jack could see Gwen was about to argue and intervened, "I was wondering how you planned on getting home without the Time Jumper?"  
"Oh I'm sure Torchwood will figure out something they usually do,"  
And as if on cue a large rip in the air opened and Rhys stepped through it saluting the team at the same time. And to their surprise Jack, Gwen and Ianto started to fall asleep. Gwen laid her head down on the boardroom table dark hair pooling around her  
"He's only gone and retconed us." she giggled.


End file.
